Tweet
I have a 68 427/400 tri-power the oil tube and dip stick has always read 1 qt low .. IE if I chnage oil (and filter) and if I put 5 qts of oil in the car after the intial start up the dip stick reads exactly 1 qt low .. it is obvious that there is a relationship between the dipstick, guide tube and the oil pan itself .. how can I identify which is the one that is wrong .. for example can anyone tell me how long the dip stick should be .. from tip to very tip .. OR do I have some optional 6 QT pan ..
-
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong
Dale and Abigail,
If you have a 427 with the original oil pan, then I would say the reason the dip stick indicates one quart low after an oil change is because the engine actually is one quart low. The total fill should be 5 quarts plus one for a total of six when the filter is changed. -
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong
Dale and Abigail,
If you have a 427 with the original oil pan, then I would say the reason the dip stick indicates one quart low after an oil change is because the engine actually is one quart low. The total fill should be 5 quarts plus one for a total of six when the filter is changed.Comment
-
Also....
The Corvette Parts & Accessories Manual calls out critical dimensions of the oil gauge (dip stick). The book calls for GM # 3981088 as the dipstick to be used on 69-72 BB engines (might be a service replacement vs. factory original part for your car, but the reach geometry will be the same) and that dipstick should measure 23 13/64-inches from the upper stop/hilt to the FULL mark and 24 inches from the upper stop to the ADD mark.Comment
-
Also....
The Corvette Parts & Accessories Manual calls out critical dimensions of the oil gauge (dip stick). The book calls for GM # 3981088 as the dipstick to be used on 69-72 BB engines (might be a service replacement vs. factory original part for your car, but the reach geometry will be the same) and that dipstick should measure 23 13/64-inches from the upper stop/hilt to the FULL mark and 24 inches from the upper stop to the ADD mark.Comment
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong
Dale-----
In your case, it sounds to me as if you just made the wrong assumption regarding the oil capacity for your engine. However, there are factors involving replacement dipsticks and dipstick tubes which can cause errors with Corvette big blocks.
Originally, your engine was fitted with dipstick GM #3959158. This dipstick had a measurement of 17-13/32" from the seat to the "full" mark and 19" from the seat to the "add" mark. The tube used with this dipstick was GM #3870324.
The above-referenced parts were discontinued from SERVICE 30 years ago and were replaced by the late-1970 to 1974 parts, dipstick GM #3981088 and tube GM #3981089. This dipstick measures 23-13/64" from the seat to the "full" mark and 24" from the seat to the "add" mark. The tube measures 22-5/8" in length. This is considerably longer than the 3870324 (I don't have the exact length of the 3870324 handy).
For the past 30 years, if you purchased a dipstick or dipstick tube for any 65-74 Corvette big block from GM, you got the 3981088 dipstick and 3981089 tube. The problem is that while these parts will SERVICE any 65-74 Corvette big block, they must be used TOGETHER. NEITHER of these parts will work with the earlier parts.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong
Dale-----
In your case, it sounds to me as if you just made the wrong assumption regarding the oil capacity for your engine. However, there are factors involving replacement dipsticks and dipstick tubes which can cause errors with Corvette big blocks.
Originally, your engine was fitted with dipstick GM #3959158. This dipstick had a measurement of 17-13/32" from the seat to the "full" mark and 19" from the seat to the "add" mark. The tube used with this dipstick was GM #3870324.
The above-referenced parts were discontinued from SERVICE 30 years ago and were replaced by the late-1970 to 1974 parts, dipstick GM #3981088 and tube GM #3981089. This dipstick measures 23-13/64" from the seat to the "full" mark and 24" from the seat to the "add" mark. The tube measures 22-5/8" in length. This is considerably longer than the 3870324 (I don't have the exact length of the 3870324 handy).
For the past 30 years, if you purchased a dipstick or dipstick tube for any 65-74 Corvette big block from GM, you got the 3981088 dipstick and 3981089 tube. The problem is that while these parts will SERVICE any 65-74 Corvette big block, they must be used TOGETHER. NEITHER of these parts will work with the earlier parts.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong . reply
I have the dip stick here and this is what I see .. the stick has the correct white plastic PORTION ON THE END .. from the seat to the full mark is approx 16 15/16" and 17 5/8 from the seat to the add mark the overall length is 21 7/8 as measured from tip to tip .. there are no numbers or any other marks except the letter "W" above the words engine oILComment
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong . reply
I have the dip stick here and this is what I see .. the stick has the correct white plastic PORTION ON THE END .. from the seat to the full mark is approx 16 15/16" and 17 5/8 from the seat to the add mark the overall length is 21 7/8 as measured from tip to tip .. there are no numbers or any other marks except the letter "W" above the words engine oILComment
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong . reply
Dale-----
It's possible that very early 69s used the 68 diptick GM #3925520. This dipstick had dimensions of 17-13/32" to the "full" mark and 18-1/2" to the "add" mark. Those are closer to your dimensions, but still quite a ways off.
Actually, I've heard of this discrepency before regarding differences in the dimensions from GM specs to actually observed for big block dipsticks. I don't know how to explain it, though.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
-
Re: C3 looks correct measures wrong . reply
Dale-----
It's possible that very early 69s used the 68 diptick GM #3925520. This dipstick had dimensions of 17-13/32" to the "full" mark and 18-1/2" to the "add" mark. Those are closer to your dimensions, but still quite a ways off.
Actually, I've heard of this discrepency before regarding differences in the dimensions from GM specs to actually observed for big block dipsticks. I don't know how to explain it, though.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
Comment